The Soul Stalkers
by Revvie-S
Summary: SG1 get into trouble on a planet that is being invaded by a mysterious race of telepaths. Ultimately a Sam and Jack story be warned
1. Default Chapter

The negotiations between the leaders of P2X-400 and the representatives from Earth were being safe-guarded by SG teams one and six as the governments of the two planets ironed out the details of a new mining treaty. The members of SG6 were stationed around the Stargate, located in the center of the city, while SG1 provided security for the diplomats. 

Although all seemed to be going well on the surface, Jack O'Neill was troubled by a sharp sense of foreboding that he couldn't explain or shake off. He glanced at Teal'C standing in the courtyard just outside the conference hall and noted that he also appeared tense and alert.

Samantha Carter approached Jack quietly, stopping when she was close enough to whisper to him.

"Sir, something's off."

"I know, Carter, I feel it too."

Jack's fingers tightened instinctively around his weapon.

The ambassador from Earth stood up at this point and leaned across the table to offer his hand to his counterpart, who at first seemed confused by the gesture but soon returned the handshake.

"Then it's settled," said the ambassador, "Earth will provide your government with stealth technology for your space fleet and you will permit Earth access to these four mining sites as well as assistance in the actual mining of the ore."

He pointed to a map spread out on the table between them. All members of both delegations stood up at this, looking satisfied with their new agreement.

Later, after nightfall, O'Neill was on watch on the outskirts of the small city, standing almost invisibly in the shadows of a building. Sam came from the direction of the town center slowly approaching his location, weapon ready, looking down each darkened alley as she progressed.

Jack stepped away from the shadows just enough for her to see him, and she changed course and went up to him.

"Carter?" Jack whispered. "It's too early to relieve me of watch. What's up?"

"I'm not sure, sir. There's something different about the people here compared to our last recon. And I sense something I can't explain, really. It's way too quiet. Creepy."

O'Neill nodded, remembering the friendly natives and almost constant party atmosphere they had enjoyed for the few days they had previously spent on the planet when they had first discovered P2X-400.

"So I thought I'd have a look around," Sam finished.

"See anything out of the ordinary?"

"Most of the homes seem unoccupied. Where is everybody?"

The city had pulsed with crowds and energy on their first visit.

Jack didn't answer, except to grasp her upper arm and pull her behind him, stepping back into the shadows as he did so.

A group of diplomats from the earlier negotiations strode into view, heading single-mindedly out of the village, not speaking or looking at each other, almost as if they were in a trance. Jack and Sam watched them go by with the disquieting confirmation that something was indeed not right here.

Jack looked at her as if to ask her opinion without words, and Sam immediately nodded in the affirmative. They cautiously tailed the group, staying far enough behind to stay out of sight and hearing, as the group led them down a dark roadway that led out into the heavily wooded countryside.

Jack gave Carter another look, as if to say, "Where could they possibly be going out here?"

Sam answered him by nodded her head in a pointing gesture.

Jack looked in the direction she was indicating, towards a clearing in the woods just ahead.

The members of the suspicious gang stopped in the middle of the clearing and began to disappear one by one as if they were walking through an invisible doorway, one from which just a sliver of unnatural light was escaping.

"Is that..." Sam started.

"A cloaked ship?" questioned Jack. "Why did they negotiate for stealth technology if they already have it?"

"Something's fishy here, sir."

"Carter, fall back to the village," Jack whispered decisively.

The two sneaked back they way they had come, only relaxing a little when they reached the village again.

"Let's find Daniel and Teal'C and SG6."

Jack looked grim.

The two SG teams sat together inside the house in which they had been given quarters listening gravely to Jack and Sam's disturbing report.

All of them had noticed the unusual silence around them in this city and the report from O'Neill and Carter only confirmed the unease they were already feeling.

"Colonel Matson, take your team over to the quarters of the Earth delegation and check it out. Report in every half hour. Daniel, Teal'C, check out the village, see if you can find any of the indigenous people around here and find out if they've seen anything out of the ordinary. Carter, you and I are going to check out that clearing again."

Splitting in three directions, they all moved out stealthily into the night.

"Matson to O'Neill, come in," Jack heard over his radio, an unnaturally loud sound in the quiet woods where he and Carter were surveilling the clearing beyond.

"O'Neill here, go ahead."

Jack gave Sam a grimace, both of them hoping they weren't being overheard by some unknown bad guys.

"The Earth delegation reports one of their members is missing. They want to talk to you."

"Roger, we're on our way," Jack acknowledged.

"Let's go, Carter," whispered Jack anxiously, and they slipped away from the clearing as quickly and quietly as they were able.

Reaching the first buildings along the city's edge, Jack and Sam stopped under an overhanging roof, sheltered from view, to make sure they weren't being followed.

They waited for several minutes, surveying in every direction, neither talking or moving, back to back so close that Sam allowed herself to be distracted just a little from their vigil to enjoy the warm sensation of being near him.

Jack looked down at her after a minute, tension creasing his forehead.

"Come on."

They continued on towards the quarters where Jack had sent Matson to guard the Earth contingent, encountering no other disturbances.

When they arrived at the diplomatic housing, Daniel came up to Jack and Sam.

"The members of our diplomatic corps are uneasy about the behavior of the planet's negotiators during the proceedings. Now there's a member of Earth's delegation missing."

Jack looked wearied. "Matson?" Jack motioned him over to the corner of the room and began to speak quietly, telling him of the strange goings-on he and Carter had witnessed.

"Until morning, keep everyone in this building. Everyone, got it? Teal'C and I will go see if we can find out what happened to this missing man."

Jack went over to stand with Daniel and Sam.

"We'll check in by radio at exactly 0200 Earth time by our watches. If you don't hear from us at that time, don't automatically trust that it's us the next time you see us."

"Sir?"

"You saw those guys out there, Carter. They looked like robots or zombies or something. Just question everything from here on out."

Jack readied his gear and Teal'C followed suit.

"We'll be in touch." Jack said as a goodbye.

Sam caught his eyes as he turned to leave and they exchanged a look of concern and trust.

"Take care of yourself, Colonel," Sam pleaded.

"You too, stay sharp."

Jack and Teal'C disappeared into the night.

At exactly 0200 Sam's radio crackled to life and the Colonel's voice came through loud and clear. Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Carter, we're about five minutes from your position in the city. We'll debrief when we get there."

"Roger, Colonel," Sam answered with a lightened heart. His voice sounded normal and strong.

They strode in the door a few minutes later, looking tired and damp with dew. Jack sat down on the nearest chair and noisily blew out his breath as Teal'C sat on the floor leaning against the wall. Both looked worried and concerned.

"What is it?" Sam questioned.

"We watched the entrance to the mine for two hours. There's a lot of activity going on there, and the entrance is well guarded. We need to figure out how to get in there."

"After you rest a few hours," Sam suggested, noticing their fatigue.

"I'll watch while you sleep."

She moved towards the doorway to stand watch.

"Alright. Wake me as soon as it's light."

Jack laid down on the bench by the wall and Teal'C sat with his back propped against the wall, both immediately closing their eyes.

As the light of the rising sun crept across the alien sky, Sam stepped outside the building they were housed in and surveyed the street in both directions. There was some movement now, as a few locals seemed to be up and about their business, but the streets were still ominously quiet.

One of the locals noticed Sam standing outside the entrance to the diplomatic housing and came hurrying over towards her, obviously wanting to talk to her. She gripped the weapon at her side but allowed him to approach. He was nervous, glancing all around and behind him as he cautiously neared her, fear and determination mixed on his countenance.

"Sir," Sam called behind her into the open doorway.

Jack was up in a split second and crossed the room to join Sam just outside. He took up a protective stance just behind her as the young villager reached them, by now clearly terrified.

"You are all in great danger," he told them. "You must return through the Stargate before it is too late, or the evil ones will conquer your planet too. They cannot be stopped."

"Come inside," Jack offered, after deciding the man didn't look dangerous on the surface at least.

"What are you talking about?"

"The invaders, they have taken over the bodies of our people. Some of us have managed to evade them, but they are finding us, one by one. The men you have been talking with from our city are no longer who they were before. They want the Stargate symbols to your planet."

"What's your name?" Jack asked him.

"I am Kel."

"What else can you tell us about these invaders?"

"They did not come through the Stargate; we monitor the Gate and you are the only planet from which anyone has come through the Gate in many cycles. I have been down to the mine where theyhave been taking my people. I can show you how to get there."

"I think I already know where it is, Kel. These invaders, have you seen them?"

"Yes, but they are not like us."

"How do you mean?"

"They are tall, and thin, like a snake. I didn't get a close view. I saw them from a distance and I was afraid of them."

"Let's get geared up and go see what's going on."

Jack drew Kel further in with a hand around his upper arm and shut the door.

It was only a few minutes before they were ready to go, but first Jack had decided to send the diplomatic delegation back to the SGC with two members of Colonel Matson's team as escort to explain the situation to Hammond.

Once he knew their people were safely back on Earth, Jack geared up and moved the team out towards the mine.

Kel claimed to know a way into the mines through a relatively unused passage so Jack was on point with the young man, while Matson brought up their six.

As they left the light of day and began to creep along the underground tunnel, the six SG personnel fell quiet. All felt a sense of mounting tension and anxiety as they drew closer to the occupied portion of the mine. Their hands were tight around their weapons and their hearts were pounding.

Kel stopped at a fork in the passageway and O'Neill signaled a stop to his team. The native boy seemed to be trying to decide his direction.

Suddenly making a decision, the group began moving forward again, down a path that was leading unmistakably lower. Noises began filtering through the quiet from up ahead. Again, O'Neill signaled a stop.

Jack then signaled for Matson and his boys, along with Teal'C, to stay behind in the passageway and keep it open.

Sam, Daniel, and Jack moved in behind Kel, who was moving faster now and was actually hard to keep up with. Jack fell back just enough to stay close to Sam and Daniel, unwilling to take even the slightest chance that they would be separated, and Kel slowed down as he noticed them dropping behind.

Just around the next turn, the way widened out and they came to a door blocking the path. Kel leaned down and removed a wedge of stone which he had placed there the last time he had come this way. Sticking his head out the other side, there was an expectant hush as he looked around.

He motioned them forward, but then immediately signalled them to step back.

As they huddled just behind the door, they all felt, rather than saw or heard, a presence move past on the other side.

Sam covered her mouth to keep from crying out, a look of distress on her face. Jack automatically shot out an arm to steady her, questioning her silently with his eyes.

Teal'C also seemed to be very disturbed.

Sam struggled to regain control over her mind and emotions as Jack held her arm, watching her sharply.

Frightened to the core of her being, all she wanted to do was bolt for the outside. She had sensed the being that had passed by very clearly, much as she could sense the Goa'uld, but there was something different here. She had felt her mind being pulled like a tide, especially the part once influenced by Jolinar.

The fact that nobody else but Teal'C seemed to have been affected in the same way confirmed her suspicion that her altered blood chemistry made her particularly vulnerable to this sinister race.

"Carter?" Jack ventured a soft whisper. "What happened?"

"I felt—it was like it was sucking at my mind, I can't explain it."

Sam was trembling, much to her frustration, and Jack could feel the shaking underneath his steadying hand.

"Kel, what's in there?"

"A large chamber, many tunnels, equipment of strange design, many aliens."

"Do you know anything about their spaceship?"

"No."

Jack left it at that, not ready to tell Kel anything that he and Carter had learned out in the field beyond the city when they had seen what they suspected was a cloaked ship.

"This mind sucking thing Carter felt- did you feel it?"

"Yes, a little, the last time I came here, and I was afraid and I went back to the city. I have been hiding there until today when I came to you."

"So they have some kind of mind control thing going on? Is that how they are controlling your people?"

"I think so, yes."

Jack turned his attention back to Sam. She was still shaky and seemed distant.

"Let's get you back to the city, Carter."

The team had almost made it back to the edge of the city when several of the people from the city stepped out of an alley into their path, staring blankly at them. Jack and his men instantly raised their weapons, but the group was not being actively hostile, resulting in a standoff as they assessed each other.

The group parted down the middle and an alien the likes of which Jack had never seen walked fluidly out of the crowd. Jack glanced anxiously at Sam, but so far she did not seem to be under any mind attack. He turned back to the eerie being now standing before him.

Jack heard the alien's words telepathically in his mind, all the while aware that nothing audible had been said.

"This world is ours now. You cannot stop us. We will find your world and it will also be ours."

The being seemed to change before their eyes and once again Sam was visibly affected, but no other of the team from Earth seemed at all distressed with the exception of Teal'C.

Jack reached down and pulled Sam behind him.

"Try to resist it," he urged, fearful for her.

Jack watched the alien's expression change from one of arrogance to confusion and then fear. He turned and fled, his zombie-like followers in his wake. Sam began to rally in his absence. She looked up then, exhaustion evident in her expression.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I am now," She replied.

"Carter, did you see that? Why were you and Teal'C the only ones of us affected?"

"Humans from Earth seem to be immune. I'm not completely human anymore, chemically speaking."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"No," Sam admitted. "I feel...fuzzy, strange, hard to explain." She rubbed her forehead.

"I'm going after that alien and see what else he's vulnerable to," Jack said, patting his P90. "Matson, you and your team are with me. Teal'C, go with Carter back to Earth. You don't seem to be immune either. Daniel, you're with me."

Teal'C nodded wordlessly, still not himself after the recent encounter. He and Sam started back towards the city and the Stargate while Jack moved out with the rest of the men.

Teal'C and Sam said nothing to each other as they walked rapidly in the direction of the city. Sam began to get that strange feeling again and picked up her pace, not sure if she could retain control of her mind long enough to get to the Stargate.

Teal'C stopped suddenly, hanging his head and leaning his hands on his knees.

"Let's go, Teal'C," Sam urged fearfully.

He didn't respond.

"Teal'C!" she cried out.

He looked up then, a crazy light in his eyes which she had never seen before.

In two strides, he had reached her side and grabbed her arms, easily swinging her over his shoulder. He loped off in the direction of the mine, Sam screaming.

She tried to key her radio with her chin but only succeeded in clicking it a few times.

Her mind became increasingly clouded as they approached the alien outpost.

* * *

Jack signaled an all stop when he heard his com click on and off a few times, but nothing further. 

"Sam? Teal'C?" He called.

Receiving no answer, he caught Daniel's eye, who had come over to him.

"What do you think that means?"

"I think we can assume they're in trouble."

Matson was deep in thought.

"O'Neill, I could send two of my men back to the city to see if Carter and Teal'C made it back safely."

"Do it. Everyone else- keep moving."

They were almost to the mine that the aliens were using as a base of operations, and Jack's fingers twitched on his gun.He couldn't wait to see how hard they were to take out.

* * *

Sam was a prisoner after Teal'C, completely in their power, had turned her over to the aliens. She tested the strength of the bars surrounding her, not expecting to find a weakness, but more from just needing to do something, anything. 

She had a whopper of a headache, but was still under her own control.

Perhaps, she thought, her human physiology prevented her from being taken over completely, in spite of the chemicals in her blood that were obviously making her partially vulnerable.

She felt them approaching before she actually saw them, and the pain in her mind increased tenfold. The telepathic beings looked in on her as she sat against the back wall, obviously in great distress.

"Why do you resist?" She felt the question burn into her consciousness.

"Why do you make slaves of other beings?" She retorted.

"We offer a life without worry or want. Our subjects worship us because we can give them all that they need."

An alarm bell went off in Sam's head at the word 'worship.'

"You're no better than the Goa'uld, beings who also rob other races of free will and use them for their own ends."

"We are far superior to the Goa'uld. They are unable to resist us."

An enemy worse than the Goa'uld?

Sam felt sick inside.

"Let me go," she answered, figuring it was worth a shot.

Their response was the infliction of telepathic pain so great she soon passed out.

* * *

After a quick survey of the entrance, Jack and his team approached boldly, weapons held at the ready. Some of the native people under the control of the aliens were guarding the entrance. 

"Zats," Jack ordered, unwilling to kill these people who weren't responsible for their actions.

Within minutes, they had incapacitated the guards and were inside the main entrance.

Jack left two men to guard the entryway, leaving Matson, Daniel and one other of Matson's team to venture further in.

Commotion up ahead prompted them to duck into the safety of a side tunnel. Several native humans came into view, lugging a cart of naquadah with them. They continued on towards the surface.

It would seem the aliens needed the planet's natural supply of naquadah, just like Earth.

But while Earth was trying to trade for it, these invading beings were boldly stealing the powerful element, along with the minds and bodies of the natives whose labor they needed in order to get the ore onto their spaceship.

The team moved out as soon as the miners were out of earshot, going further into the tunnel.

They found the central chamber just as Kel had described, and managed to slip in and take cover behind whatever was handy without being detected. They could hear the aliens and their captives alike in the busy cavern.

Jack thought he heard a familiar voice, and peeked cautiously over the top of the machine he was crouched behind to see Teal'C, working alongside the other captives.

Jack quickly pulled back down behind the cover of the machine.

Dumbfounded, his mind whirled as he tried adjust to what he had just seen and to piece together what must have happened for Teal'C for him to end up in the power of the telepathics.

Since Sam had been with him, he had to assume she was also in their power and in here somewhere.

This was suddenly now more than a search and destroy operation.

They had two compromised team members and a missing delegate, no doubt also imprisoned here, to rescue.

Matson scooted over next to Jack.

"What do you think?" Jack asked him in a whisper.

"Isn't that your Jaffa over there?"

"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "This could be a problem."

The two soon formulated a revised plan to concentrate on getting their people out first, and only then would they deal directly with the aliens. The advantage the Earthlings had was the natural barrier their minds seemed to have to the telepaths.

Jack was fairly certain that this had been an unpleasant surprise to the invaders in their earlier encounter. He figured if the aliens could read their minds at all, they would have already been located and captured.

He took this as evidence that the element of surprise was still on their side.

"So your second-" Matson conjectured.

"Is probably doing the zombie thing too here somewhere. Jackson and I will go down that passageway over there and see what we can find.

Matson, up on that ledge-" here he pointed, "-is a door that leads to an escape route. You and your boys go find it and provide cover for us when you see us coming your direction. Got it? That's our way out of here."

"Will do."

Matson signalled to his men and they crept furtively off, so good at staying in the shadows that not even Jack could follow them after a few feet. He felt better seeing the competency of Matson's team.

Maybe they had a chance of pulling this off after all.

"Daniel," Jack beckoned. "Keep your zat ready. We're gonna have to zat Carter and Teal'C, I think. We need to find that delegate too. Let's go."

* * *

It began to register in Sam's muddy brain that the cold dirt floor under her face was quite uncomfortable. 

She sat up slowly, alone in her cell again, her head still pounding like a jackhammer was at work inside her skull. Her arms and feet were tied tightly and sitting up had required the skills of a contortionist. She crawled as best she could to the open bars at the front of her cell.

She could not feel the alien's presence right now, a source of comfort to her at least for the time being.

But she did hear something.

Sam held her breath and strained to hear the soft scraping noise again that had caught her attention, and was rewarded with the almost indiscernible sounds of a shuffle through dirt.

Before she had time to process what she was hearing, Jack and Daniel were standing right in front of her prison cell. Daniel was pointing his zat right at her with a 'don't even think about it' look.

"I don't think you're in any danger from me, Daniel," Sam said wearily as she indicated her tied limbs.

"Carter, are you okay? Are you...you?" Jack was quickly setting a silent explosive in the lock as he questioned her.

"Yes, I'm me. But Teal'C... isn't."

"We noticed."

Jack blew the door and was at Sam's side in a flash, as was Daniel, both cutting her bonds off as fast as they could. She stood up, stomping her feet a little, trying to get her circulation going again.

"We're going to try to get Teal'C separated from the others and zat him."

"What, so all three of us can try to drag him back?"

"Well what do you suggest?"

"I don't have a suggestion," Sam admitted sadly.

"Plan A it is then, c'mon, let's go." Jack surprised Sam by putting his hand on her back as if to escort her along.

"Were you worried about me?" Sam asked him privately as they waited for the all clear signal from Daniel, just ahead of them in the corridor.

Jack pulled his hand back as if suddenly realizing how familiar the gesture must look.

"A little," he allowed.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, looking directly at her now, his dark eyes betraying how much he actually had worried about her.

"As long as we don't get too close to another of those things. They can't control me, but they can incapacitate me."

A wave of fearfulness shot through Jack upon hearing this, and suddenly he found his hand returning to her lower back.

"I'm going to take you up to the escape tunnel, where Matson is, then Danny and I'll find Teal'C. Go with him back to the city."

He gave her a look that allowed no argument, and they turned and headed towards the route that Kel had shown them earlier.

They had sneaked and slithered their way about halfway through the chamber when Teal'C and one of the aliens were suddenly before them, blocking their path.

Daniel immediately zatted Teal'C.

Jack was about to shoot the alien, as he was dying to see how effective their Earth guns were against this new enemy, when Sam cried out and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Put away your weapons, or I will kill the woman."

Jack narrowed his eyes and opened fire.

The alien crumpled to the floor, very dead, much to Jack's satisfaction.

There was no sound coming from Sam's motionless body.

As Teal'C began to recover, his arms now tied by Daniel who was guarding him, Jack grabbed Sam and pulled her into his lap, scared to death over what he was going to find.

"Carter!"

"Sam! Please," Jack whispered, reflexively touching her hair with shaking fingers, willing her to open her eyes.

"Jack?" Daniel asked anxiously.

"I killed her," Jack said in a frozen tone, stunned.

"I killed her."


	2. Laying The Foundation

The Soul Stalkers: Chapter 2

"Daniel Jackson? Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'C spoke softly.

Jack and Daniel looked back momentarily at Teal'C, who was standing shakily by the rocky wall of the chamber, looking very disoriented, obviously coming out from under the mind control of the now dead alien.

Teal'C looked upon the scene before him, dismay and self-blame in his dark eyes.

Daniel felt Sam's neck for a pulse. After a moment, he looked up at Jack, his eyes moist and bright.

"She's not dead, Jack."

Jack finally dared to feel her pulse for himself, exhaling heavily as he too detected her heartbeat.

"Teal'C?" Jack addressed the Jaffa in a husky voice. "You okay now?"

"I am, O'Neill."

"Good. Let's get out of here."

Daniel untied Teal'C's arms, which he had bound up as a precaution just in case the Jaffa had awoken still under the telepath's power, and slapped him on the back.

Teal'C put Carter on his shoulders again, this time to rescue her instead of betray her, and they headed once again for the hidden escape tunnel.

Just as they stepped through the escape tunnel doorway, however, another alien spotted them and swiftly made its wispy way towards them, running on impossibly thin legs.

As it neared them, Teal'C began to buckle at the knees, once again feeling the alien's power, but Jack efficiently dispatched the alien with a few rounds before Teal'C could succumb to its mind control again. Daniel supported Teal'C as he held onto Sam.

"Let's go, I just rang the fire alarm," Jack said as they wedged the door closed behind them and ran in the direction of the outside.

Jack called Matson on the com as they went swiftly along the underground passage.

"Matson," the other Colonel responded immediately.

"What's your situation?"

"Alien activity around the mine has picked up a lot in the past few minutes, a whole lot," Matson responded. "We've fallen back to the treeline. The entrance is no longer secure."

"Roger that, Matson. We're coming out the back way, we'll meet you back at the city. Get your tails out of there."

"Will do. Matson out."

By this time they had reached the surface, and after a quick recon to make sure the hidden access route had not been detected, they set out through the woods towards the city.

Sam was still unconscious when they arrived back at the diplomatic building, now deserted after the rest of the delegates had returned to Earth.

Jack went to secure all the rooms while Teal'C carefully laid Sam down on a cot near the back wall. Teal'C sat down, his back supported by the wall behind him, worn out.

Daniel sat down beside him.

"Teal'C, how do you feel?"

"I will be fine after Kel-Nor-Reem," Teal'C admitted.

"Go ahead, I'll watch over Sam," Daniel offered.

Teal'C nodded and left to find a quiet place.

Jack returned, satisfied that the house was still secure. Matson and his men arrived soon after Jack pulled up a stool and sat down next to Sam's cot.

Matson stood by Jack, still breathing heavily from their rapid march back from the mine.

"What happened to her?" Matson asked, pointing to Carter.

One of those aliens zapped her mind somehow," Jack explained.

"She gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. We're not sure what happened to her. Report?"

"We saw around 40 native people walking out of the mine back into the forest, with 3 or 4 of those ugly aliens. They were carrying naquadah ore in carts or in their hands. I don't know where they could be going. Did you say you and Carter saw evidence of a cloaked ship somewhere out there?"

"We did, and that's probably where they're going. We need to stop them from leaving the planet with these people."

"We're going to need backup, Jack."

"Yeah. See to it that we get some, and real soon, Matson."

"Will do."

Matson left to walk back to the Stargate to establish an outgoing wormhole and call for help.

Jack turned his attention to Sam, still unnaturally still on the cot, frighteningly pale and barely breathing, and felt tension redouble in his body as he watched her face for some sign that she was coming to.

His love and concern for her overrode his military training for the moment and he slowly reached out to rub his hand gently over her forehead, back and forth, like he was soothing a sick child.

It was unthinkable that he could lose her.

She'd been invaluable to him from the first mission that he'd taken with her on his team, but now, after so many years, there was so much more between them, whether they would admit it or not.

He had shot the alien without even thinking; it had been pure reflex. Now the guilt lurking to overtake him if the alien's threat against Sam came true was suffocating.

He leaned closer to her face, listening to her breathe. His heart constricted in misdirected remorse as he heard her faint, shallow breaths.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," he choked out in a whisper. "Please be okay?"

She had to be okay.

She just had to.

Within the hour, three SG teams were geared up and on the planet, ready for their marching orders.

Matson was temporarily calling the shots, taking Jack's place until he returned from the SGC.

Jack had made the decision a few minutes before that Sam's condition was not improving and that she needed to be taken to the infirmary.

He was there now, waiting impatiently for the infirmary doctor to give him a report on Sam's condition before he went back to the planet.

He jumped to his feet as the doctor came over to him.

"Doc?"

"Her vital signs are good, very strong. There's no evidence of any physical trauma. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why she remains unconscious."

Jack stared at his feet, torn between staying until she woke up and getting back to the men he knew needed him right now.

"Can I see her for a minute?"

"Sure, if you want."

Jack walked over to Sam's bedside and rolled a stool over so he could sit right next to her.

He leaned down so they were face to face, deeply thankful to be able to stare at the familiar features that he was so used to seeing every day.

After a few quiet minutes of simply being in her presence, he reluctantly got up. He knew he needed to meet with the General and get back to the planet as soon as possible.

Hammond had already sent the back up teams on to P2X-400 ahead of O'Neill, suspecting that Jack might need a little more time because of Sam.

So O'Neill was now in the General's office, kitted out and ready to leave.

George stood up and walked with Jack as they went down the stairs to the embarkation area.

"Report back to me in 12 hours, Colonel. We need to know how big a problem this new threat has the potential to be."

"Yes, sir," Jack agreed.

He began walking up the ramp.

"Colonel O'Neill!"

A nurse from the infirmary was standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, General, sir, but I thought Colonel O'Neill would like to know that Major Carter is awake."

Jack looked at George as he swiveled around, unclipped his pack and left it lying where it hit the floor.

"I'll be right back, I swear, sir," Jack promised, running towards the infirmary.

"Go, go." Hammond smiled widely, glad to hear the news about Carter and tickled to see the light spring into Jack's eyes again.

Those two were going to get him into big trouble one day.

"Hey," Jack breathed as he slid onto the same stool he had occupied earlier that day.

He grabbed her hand.

"Hey. Is Teal'C okay?"

Her voice was rough and her eyes were barely open, but she was already going through the mission in her mind.

"He's fine. What about you? More importantly, is your brain okay?"

"Cute, sir. I have a headache but nothing important seems to be missing up there," Sam joked.

"The Air Force will be relieved to hear that, Carter. Hey, you sure you're okay?"

"Sure. Are you going back?" Sam had just noticed his gear.

"I'm leaving in a few minutes, yeah. We have some alien butt to kick."

"Sir, I saw those aliens and they definitely do not have butts."

They both chuckled quietly, heads together, then Jack's face grew earnest.

"I should have got you back here sooner, as soon as we realized you were susceptible," Jack said regretfully.

He quickly scanned the room for witnesses, then tentatively combed his fingers through her hair, unable to resist the need to touch her after believing he'd lost her.

"You had me scared there for a while, Sam," he confessed, continuing to lightly stroke her hair and forehead.

"I think it might be worth it to scare you more often," Sam smiled, clearly enjoying his touch, as for this one shining moment they disregarded military protocol.

"Look, the next time you want some attention, just drag me into the supply closet," O'Neill whispered playfully. "You don't need to use the scare tactics."

Sam grinned wickedly at the supply closet suggestion. It was almost as good as being invited to go fishing.

"I'll, uh, remember that, sir."

"You'd better."

Jack pushed the stool back, stood up and bounced on his toes a little.

"I've got to go back to the planet. You take care of yourself."

"You be careful too, sir. We don't know what we're dealing with yet."

"I'll be fine. I'll be in touch soon."

Jack stopped, wanting to tell her so much more but aware that their moment was over.

It was time for the Major and the Colonel to reassume command.

At least for now.

_a week later_

The briefing room was about as full as it had ever been as the four SGC teams and as many civilian diplomats that could fit were sitting at the long table or standing along the walls.

The last few days on the planet had been grueling, but the SGC had learned that people from Earth were not only immune to the new aliens, but the aliens seemed to actually be afraid of them. These facts were the subject of much speculation among the scientists in the briefing.

The ship was never found, and the lack of an alien presence as they scoured the mines and surrounding countryside led them to believe that the ship had indeed at some point escaped.

Sadly, there were many villagers missing, but many more were soon restored to their full mental capacity or had returned to the city after weeks of hiding in the highlands to the east.

It was decided during the briefing that an Earth outpost would maintain a presence on the planet for the foreseeable future in the event that the aliens returned for more naquadah or slaves.

Daniel and Sam had formulated and mapped out a plan for researching all they could find out about this sinister new race of beings. Earth couldn't afford to sit back and wait for the next appearance of these things, Hammond communicated. The best defense was a good offense.

The scientists would be working round the clock, within the SGC and without, to uncover all they could learn about the Telepaths. The urgency of their quest could not be denied.

Sam yawned involuntarily as she and Daniel scanned yet another Ancient text that made reference to a mysterious race that sounded suspiciously familiar.

It wasn't that she was bored, far from it; she just had been keeping herself awake every night until she literally fell down, and was up early again every morning, desperately jumpstarting her brain with hot coffee.

Jack popped into the lab and hung his head so closely over the Ancient text she was poring over that she couldn't see it.

Okay, she got the message; O'Neill was here to make her take yet another mandatory break.

"I come bearing gifts," Jack announced grandly, with a piece of pie for Daniel and a blue jello with cool whip for Sam.

"Yum."

"Goody."

"So anything new?"

"We've learned a lot, actually," Sam responded cautiously, never quite sure how much detailed information the Colonel really wanted.

"Like what?"

"Daniel has deciphered a good bit of these Ancient writings recovered from the Antarctica site last year, mostly from information you gave him on the language of the Ancients a few years ago when you-"

"I remember," Jack interrupted, cutting her off from replaying one of his less fond memories.

"Right, sir. Well anyway, these texts talk about an evil race, like the Goa'uld- "

"Or it may mean, related to the Goa'uld," Daniel interjected.

"Right. A race whom the Ancients drove out of our galaxy back before the Ancients evolved to a different, higher, plane of existence."

"That's what we learned from this first set of writings," Daniel continued.

"Now, this text here, also from the Antarctic site where we found the frozen Ancient woman,"

"Ahhh... another memory we try not to think about too often," Jack reminded them.

"Sorry, sir ...this text repeats what the Asgard first told you when you visited their home planet to have the knowledge of the Ancients removed from your head. They said there were once four great races in an alliance: the Asgard, the Ancients, the Nox, and the Furlings. What this passage here goes on todiscuss is about the Furlings."

Daniel picked up an orb, curiously glowing, and twisted it delicately.

Like a projection, a section of Ancient text appeared to hover between them.

"From what I have been able to learn, the Furlings and the Ancients were once close allies, both of great power and intellect, but over many thousands of years the Furlings became evil, bent on ruling all other races, with no regard for any but themselves.

They began by enslaving other worlds, but eventually they went a step further and they possessed their minds as well.

The Ancients became their bitter enemies. As the only beings that the Furlings were unable to conquer, it appears the Ancients eventually succeeded in driving them out of this galaxy."

"Now this is very interesting," Sam broke in.

"The text here is in Goa'uld but an extremely obscure form of the language. We have had some help from Teal'C, but not even he understands all of it. This artifact was found on the Goa'uld home word, where we first encountered Chak'a."

"And?" Jack prompted.

"It talks about the 'Mother' of the Goa'uld, a race of beings who could possess the souls of their subjects."

There was silence while O'Neill digested this unexpected piece of information.

"So you think the Goa'uld are actually descended from these soul sucker guys?"

"Well, there's some evidence that that is the case. And think about it- if we're descended from the Ancients, it seems logical that the other great races left descendants as well." Daniel postulated.

"And that got me thinking, sir. Why were Earthlings immune to the effects of these aliens?"

"The Furlings?"

"Furlings, yes, I think we can call them that. We already know you have some of the Ancient genes, Colonel, and the evidence we now have has shown that Earth is probably the Ancients' planet of origin. Maybe Earthlings are immune because we are directly descended from the Ancients? Maybe we have some way to defend ourselves against these Furlings that we're not even aware of?"

"We're not immune to possession by the Goa'uld," Jack pointed out.

"I know, but that could be because the Furlings that eventually became the Goa'uld stayed in this galaxy and developed into physical parasites, able to possess other beings in a different way from their ancestors."

"So, now what?"

Jack looked blown away by their findings.

"I'd like to contact the Tok'Ra and the Asgard, sir. I'm betting these Furlings are here in our galaxy again to attack as many worlds as they can. We need to get enough information to take the offensive against them as quickly as possible."

"I agree, Carter. Good work, you guys. Let's go brief Hammond."

The three headed off for the General's office, eager to take this fight to the next level.

_A/N:  
For those of you who wanted the Furlings to be cute, furry guys, my heartfelt apologies_.


	3. Sam wins

Sam pulled up next to the curb in front of her house, glad to finally be home and able to rest even if it was for way too short a time. All she wanted to do was soak in a hot bath with a glass of wine beside her.

Maybe a few candles would be nice, too.

She let herself into her quiet house and flicked the light switch, illuminating the hallway and beyond into her cozy living room. She leaned down and untied her boots and tossed them in the corner. With a relieved sigh, she threw herself on the sofa and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the overstuffed arm rest.

She was so tired, so very tired.

So tired that a slightly unpleasant tingling sensation was running through her arms and her head had a faint buzz reverberating within.

She wanted a bath, but the effort of going to the bathroom and running the water was beyond her.

So she decided she would just lay down and close her eyes for a few minutes, just until she had rallied a bit.

Just a few minutes.

Just a...

Sam woke with a start, disoriented, in the dark of her living room.

The clock said 0500.

She'd slept all night on the couch, neck bent awkwardly on the arm rest, in her dusty fatigues, and now she had to be back at the SGC in two hours.

Feeling like she'd been gypped out of her free time, Sam rose groggily and went to the bathroom, looking regretfully at the antique clawfoot tub she had so been looking forward to lounging in, and crossed the black and white tiles to twist on the taps for the separately standing shower in the corner.

She was going off world again today, this time to visit the Tok'Ra and see her Dad for a few days, and that lovely tub was going to have to wait just a bit longer.

She rubbed at the nagging pain at the base of her neck, which seemed to have worsened since yesterday. She stepped under the water and let the hot needles bombard the painful area, but it didn't help much. With a sigh of resignation, she turned her attention to thoroughly scrubbing herself and washing her hair, feeling much better when she finished and towelled her now clean body.

It didn't take her long to make a cup of tea and grab the paper off the steps in preparation for a few precious minutes of relaxation before heading off to work. Never mind that reading the Wall Street Journal was relaxing to her.

As she climbed into her car at the curb and revved the motor, the pain in the back of her head sparked for a moment and she had to close her eyes until it passed.

Sam turned off the car and slapped the steering wheel in frustration, the first time she could ever remember feeling that she didn't trust her ability to drive. After mentally deliberating on it for a few minutes, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Colonel O'Neill?"

"Good morning, Major. Everything okay?"

She never called him at home.

"I was wondering if you could give me a ride in."

Sam hated having to ask him and she really didn't want to have to explain further.

"Car trouble?"

"No," Sam hedged.

"You okay?" Jack asked gently, hearing a subtle something in her voice.

"I've got a headache."

Bad enough to not want to drive, Jack mused in amazement to himself.

"Uhh, okay, no problem. I'll be there in about 30 minutes. I'm not actually out of bed yet."

"Oh. Sorry, sir."

"Hey, I needed to get up. Now I'll be a little less late than usual."

Sam smiled in relief as she hung up. Sam knew he was rarely late, but she appreciated his attempt to make her feel like she was doing him a favor rather than bothering him.

Heading back inside the house, she fixed half a pot of coffee, knowing Jack would appreciate a cup. Sitting down on a kitchen chair to wait for him, she began mentally reviewing today's planned mission to the Tok'Ra. She hoped that somewhere in the Tok'Ra genetic memory there would be some clue as to what the Furlings were and how they could be defeated.

Her brain felt muddled and achy as she tried to think through the facts they had already learned.

That the Furlings were possibly the ancient race from which the Goa'uld had developed and were back in this galaxy, bent on domination, after a millenia of banishment.

That they possessed other races by mind control from over a distance, not direct physical control as excercised by the Goa'uld.

Why did her head hurt so much?

That the Ancients had apparently been successful in driving the soul stalkers utterly out of their galaxy.

That they needed to somewhere find a memory, an artifact, any clue at all, as to how the Ancients had accomplished that feat.

Forget it. It was too painful to think about it, about anything.

The coffee was done, so she poured a cup and creamed it up the way she liked it, hoping the caffeine would work it's usual miracles.

"Carter?"

"Back here, sir."

"Is that coffee?"

"It is. There's a cup for you back here."

"Aahh." Jack had found his way unerringly to the steaming mug Sam had poured and was already tasting it.

"This will have to last a few days, you know, since we're going to see the Tok'Ra."

They both privately lamented the fact that coffee and tea, among other things that they both loved to eat and drink, were not on the Tok'Ra menu.

Turning the pot off and grabbing her keys, Sam followed Jack out to his jeep.

"Feeling any better, Carter?" Jack asked as they buckled up and he u-turned and then sped down the street.

"Yes, sir. Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it. I feel a little.."

"Don't mention it, Carter. You're right on my way anyhow."

He swerved to avoid a pothole and then careened wildly onto the expressway, causing Sam to internally question whether she would have been safer just driving herself, headache or no.

"Hammond called me right after you did. The Tok'Ra are anxious to hear our news about our encounter with the Telepaths on P2X...something...something. Seems one of their operatives, hidden on a Goa'uld world not far from P2...whatever, has reported their world is under attack from beings that, quote, can possess both host and Goa'uld. End quote."

"That sounds ominous."

"Well, we leave at 1300 hours."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing Dad again."

"Hey, what about saving the galaxy?"

"That's number two on the list."

Jacob was waiting at the Gate as they stepped off the ramp onto the barren planet where the Tok'Ra were currently based. Sam and Jacob hugged affectionately, both genuinely delighted to see the other again. Jack waited until they stepped back from one another to give Jacob a hug of his own.

Somewhere over the years, the relationship between the two had grown from a wary professional respect to that of a father and son, and both now really enjoyed being in the other's company.

Jacob gave Jack a fatherly pat on the back as they walked towards the ring platform, hidden under rock and dust.

Jacob told them what they had already been told by Hammond concerning the recently reported alien attacks on a Goa'uld world.

Then he told them something they didn't know: that a similar attack had just been reported on yet another planet in the same vicinity of space.

It would seem the Furlings were wasting no time in launching their assault, and just as the alien had threatened, the Goa'uld were no match for them.

The Tok'Ra proposed an alliance between themselves and Earth to find a way to stop this enemy before they gained a foothold.

"So the Tok'Ra need the T'auri now, is that it?" Jack whispered cynically in Sam's ear.

He had never quite forgiven them for brushing off Earth as they had so dismissively in their first encounter with the Tok'Ra.

Sam smiled at him in a way that said, 'you're right, and you're cute, but shut up.'

The Tok'Ra Council addressed Jack and Sam.

"We request that you allow the counsel to discuss the matters presented here privately now, and we will send notice when we are finished."

The Tok'Ra bowed, the T'auri bowed, Jack tried to bow but instead managed a movement that resembled a shoulder twitch.

They left.

"Okay, I'm ready to go home," Jack moaned grumpily, his hate affair with the Tok'Ra back in full bloom.

Sam stopped suddenly, closing her eyes and swaying a bit.

"Carter," Jack asked.

"I'm tired, that's all."

She allowed Jack to take her by the arm and they walked into her assigned quarters there on the base. Sam sat on the bed and rubbed her temples.

"You've had a headache ever since that mindsucker knocked you out back on the planet, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell the doc?"

"No... I just need to get some sleep."

"I'll just stay here and close my eyes for a few, okay, Carter?"

Jack was already propped in a chair with his feet on the end of the bed, eyes closed, looking amazingly comfortable for such a precarious position.

Sam lay down, glad he was staying for a while.

Neither one of them enjoyed the open layout of the Tok'Ra base, and it felt creepy to sleep alone in these cell-like rooms with no doors.

"Sir?" Sam said softly.

"Yeah," Jack grunted, almost asleep.

"Will you stay?"

Jack's eyes flew open. Did she mean all night?

"Your Dad might kill me, but sure, Carter, you're worth the risk."

"I didn't mean..."

"Well, I did. Move over, because this chair is going to bend me permanently in half."

Jack settled on the bed next to her and pulled her solidly against him.

"Now this is more like it."

"Maybe this isn't such a good..."

"Good night, Carter."

She was almost offended by how quickly he commenced snoring.

They woke abruptly in the dark, senses alert, not sure what had awoken them both at the same instant. Jack's arms, already wrapped possessively around Sam, tightened their grip as he listened for further disturbances.

Sam's eyes were suddenly wide with fright.

She clung to him and he looked questioningly into her eyes, asking her silently to tell him what was frightening her.

Sam tried hard not to cry, but tears slipped out anyway, and Jack's insides twisted as he saw and felt her terror.

"Jack! They're here!"

Instinct took over reason as suddenly Jack's only objective was to get Sam back to Earth through the Stargate. Those Furlings had done something to her, and her mind was still injured; he wouldn't risk the possibility of her falling under their power and torture, or worse, again.

Cries and shouts now filled the once peaceful base as the Tok'Ra were assaulted and easily overpowered by the telepathic beings infiltrating the base. Jack had the impossible task of not only trying to avoid the invaders, but avoiding Tok'Ra too, as they came under the control of the evil ones and their knowledge was siphoned and used against them.

One more passageway and they were at the rings, where Jack's heart sank to his shoes. The ring platform was heavily guarded by both Furlings and hypnotized Tok'Ra. It was their only means of getting to the surface where the Stargate was.

Sam was writhing in pain in his arms, too human to be overtaken and too alien to resist the Furlings all together.

In a flash of anger, something deep inside Jack began to glow red hot. Where he might have given himself up in the face of such hopelessness, he would fight to the death before relinquishing Sam.

Jack raged out to the ring platform.

Immediately, he was surrounded by several Furlings, tall and ethereal and horrible. They seemed to be unsure how to approach him. Then one reached out a cold ribbony arm and laid a hand on Jack's back.

What happened next astounded Jack as much as it terrified the Furlings. With an unearthly wail, the alien fell to the ground, shrivelling visibly and then becoming still, obviously dead.

In the seconds following, with the remaining Furlings temporarily stunned into inaction, Jack activated the rings and made his escape, Sam safely in his arms.

Sam woke fuzzily and painfully to the welcome sight of the SGC infirmary and a very familiar Colonel dozing in the chair next to her.

The memories of the attack came flooding back and she sat up.

"Jack?"

"Major Carter?" Jack responded pointedly.

They were on the SGC base.

"Sir, my father, the Tok'Ra..."

"Are safe now. It was touch and go for a while though."

"How?"

"You and Daniel were right about the Ancient genes. Every one of those butt ugly aliens died when we touched them."

"That's incredible."

"Only some of us T'auri have the zap power. SG teams 3,5,and 6 came through the Gate to help- and only about five of those guys had the right genes to help take these Furlings out."

"How did they find the Tok'Ra base so quickly?"

"Your Dad thinks they learned the location from the compromised Tok'Ra operative. This war's not over, far from it, but I think the odds are in our favor now."

"How's your headache?"

"Not that great. Did I get knocked out again?"

"Yeah, for the last 4 hours. Jacob wants to try the healing device on you, see if it helps the injury to your brain."

Her Dad had been standing there for a little while now, waiting for Sam to see him. He moved forward now, healing device in his hands.

"Let's give this a try," he said kindly, smiling at her lovingly.

She closed her eyes as the warming rays shot through her head, working their magic on her sore mind.

* * *

Jack was off world for a week with a team made up of those soldiers who had the crucial Ancient gene, assisting in several offensive strikes. Although the war wasn't over, it looked like it was just a matter of time before the Furlings would have to admit defeat again and leave the galaxy for good.

Sam had plenty of work to do, but she still was restless and unsatisfied not being able to go off-world.

But when she was completely honest with herself, it wasn't the off-world missions she missed; it was being off-world with Jack.

She had rarely been left behind since beginning her tour at the SGC, so she had never before experienced the mix of anxiety and loneliness she felt now as she waited for the return of the Colonel. She knew she was growing dangerously attached to him, but that fact didn't scare her at all, any more.

The klaxons announced the incoming wormhole with blaring sirens and Sam dropped what she was doing and ran down to the Gate room just in time to see Jack O'Neill and his special forces lope confidently down the ramp.

She waited in her lab, or just outside it to keep an eye on him, until he had finished his requisite infirmary visit before zeroing in on him as he walked tiredly towards his quarters.

He turned to look at her as she walked next to him.

"Welcome back, sir. I missed you."

The twinkle in her eye made him stop and turn his full attention on her.

"I missed you too."

He smiled at her, recognizing something was up by her ever so slightly mischievous stance.

"Jack."

His eyebrow went up.

She pointed to the supply closet just to his right, unable to suppress the evil grin breaking out on her lips.

Grabbing his arm, she dragged him towards the closet door.

"You said the next time I want some attention, to just drag you into the supply closet," Sam reminded him.

Looking up and down the hall, Jack took the initiative and she quickly found herself inside the closed supply room face to face with Jack, an unlit light bulb hanging just above her head, and a mop.

She chose Jack.


End file.
